Method of forming designs in surfaces



, I I L V2 /4 2, 1932- T. JELLOW ET AL 1,869,695

METHOD OF FORMING DESIGNS IN SUR FACES Filed Apri1 6, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l fLlll) e7 0&0 r S,

2, 1932- 'r. JELLOW ET AL METHOD OF FORMING DESIGNS IN SURFACES T FiledApril 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JQJHM Patented Aug. 2, 1%32 Units METHODOF FORMING DESIGNS IN SURFACES Application filed April 6,

This invention relates to a method of forming inscriptions or designs inintaglio in a surface such as monumental stone.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and superior methodof the character specified, utilizing a sand or similar blast forperforming the cutting operation and by which the desired inscription ordesign may be cut in the surface in a minimum time, at a minimum cost.and with less effort than by any prior method of which we are aware.

With this object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists in the method hereinafter described and particularlydefined in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the drawings which illustrate the method as applied to the cutting ofan inscription in the surface of the monumental stone: V

Fig. 1 is a plan View looking down upon the stone as it rests in ahorizontal position with the protective layer covering the surface to beinscribed;

Fig. 2. a sectional detail on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a plan view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the th use of a rowof preformed die members for forming depressions in the protective layerprior to the sand blasting operation;

Fig. 4E, asectional detail on the line 4-i, Fig. 3. showing one of thedie members ready to form a depression in the protective layer;

Fig. 5., a similar detail showing the raised and letter-forming portionof a die member sunk into the protective layer to form a depression;

Fig. 6, a plan view of the monumental stone showing a row of the diemembers with their raised letter-forming portions sunk into theprotective layer Fig. 7, a plan view showing the inscription cut in thestone;

Fig. 8. a plan of a row of the die members mounted upon a bar, showingthe relative position assumed by the letters;

Fig. 9, a plan of the die members and bar shown in Fig. 8, after thesame have been intuting the bottom wall of the depressions in 1929.Serial No. 353,095.

verted ready to be pressed into the protective layer; 7

Fig. 10, a sectional View taken on the lines 1010, Fig. 6, and

Fig. 11, a sectional view taken on the line 11 11, Fig. 7.

It has heretofore been the practice in cutting inscriptions or designsin monumental stone and other surfaces by the use of a sand blast, toprotect those portions of the surface 00 which are not intended to beout, by a protective layer such as a layer of gelatin.

After the application of the protective layer the inscription or designis cut out of the protective layer using a knife, to thereby expose thestone to the direct action of the blast.

This method causes considerable trouble, consumes time, and is expensivein order to produce an accurate and satisfactory repro- '7 duction ofthe desired design or inscription in the stone, and in. general thepresent invention aims to provide a more simple, convenient andpractical method of accomplishing the result.

In accordance with the present method the surface is first covered witha protective layer of a material'such as gelatin and of a thicknesssuficient to protect the surface from the action of the sand-blast.After the application of the protective layer, the desired design orinscription is first formed in the protective layer by the use ofdiemembers sunk into the surface of the protective layer sufliciently toform depressions corresponding to the design or inscription and at thesame time reducing the thickness of the gelatin or other protectivematerial under the die member to a thinness" such as to permitt-he'sand-blast to readily cut therethrough and into the surface of thestone to form the design or inscription. The die member comprises afriable material Whichcan be readily cut by the sandblast, such asplaster of lParis orother cementitious material.

The sand-blasting operation may be performed directly upon thefriabledie member to cut through the die member and through the relatively thinsection of gelatin constithe gelatin corresponding to the design orinscription.

The friable die members are preferably formed to be removably mountedupon a V- shaped metal bar and to be capable of being slid thereon,properly spaced and aligned, and by which a plurality of the die membersmaking up the inscription can be laid on the gelatin layer and permittedto sink into the latter by gravity or by the application of pressurepreferably when the bar and die members are heated sufficiently tosoften the gelatin thereunder.

Referring 110w to the drawings 10 represents a monumental stone in thesurface of which the inscription or design is to be cut in accordancewith the present method, and as herein shown for purposes ofillustration such inscription or design comprises the words John Doe.

In practising the method, that portion of the surface of the stoneagainst which the sand-blast is directed is covered with a protectivelayer of a material such as gelatin and this may be convenientlyaccomplished by laying the stone in a horizontal position, providing adam or enclosure 12 upon the surface thereof and pouring a known fluidgelatin composition into the space within the dam to cover the surfacewithin the dam with a substantially uniform layer of the gelatin of asubstantial thickness sufficient to withstand the action of thesand-blast and to protect the underlying surface of the stone.

After the protective layer, herein marked 14, has been applied in themanner described, provision is made for forming depressions 16 in thegelatin layer corresponding to the design or inscription which it isdesired to cut in the surface of the underlying stone, so that theportion 18 of the gelatin layer at the bottom of the inscription ordesign is reduced in thickness to a point such that the operation of thesand-blast will readily cut through such reduced portion and into thesurface of the stone to form the design or inscription therein.

In order to form these depressions 16 in the surface of the gelatin,preformed die men here 20 having raised letters or characters 22comprising the inscription or the design, are arranged to be pressedinto the surface of the gelatin, preferably utilizing heat to soften thegelatin so that the raised position 22 upon the die members formdepressions in the gelatin itself.

he gelatin layer 14: may be heated by means of a blow torch whose flameis moved over the surface of the protective layer.

In practice the individual die members are composed of friable materialsuch as plaster of Paris or other cementitious material which may bemolded to provide the desired raised letter or character 22 and the backof the die members are preferably provided with inclined slots 26adapted to permit the die members to he slid upon a V-shaped supportingbar 28 of metal, to be thereby aligned and arranged with respect to oneanother to form the desired inscription or design in the underlyinggelatin into which they are pressed either by pressure or by gravity.

In order that the inscription or design may be impressed into thegelatin or other protective layer by the die members 20 upon the bar 28in such manner that the inscription will be correctly arranged upon theface of the stone, those die members 20 having raised letters ofunsymmetrical nature will be inverted when supported upon the bar 28 inthe manner illustrated in Fig. 8 while those die members havingsymmetrical letters or characters thereon need not be so inverted. As aresult, when a row of the die members, such as illustrated in Fig. 8,are turned over into a position such as illustrated in Fig. 9, thedesired inscription shown in Fig. 7 will be produced in the gelatin orother protective layer.

The bar 28 may then be removed as represented in Fig. 6, and the diemembers subjected to the action of the sand blast, whereupon the diemembers being of cementitious material will be destroyed by the sandblast and the latter will cut through the thin section 18 of gelatinlying at the bottom of each depression in the gelatin, as represented inFig. 10, and cut recesses 30 in the surface of the stone to form thedesired design or inscription therein.

While the present invention is preferably applied to the above describedprocess of cutting a design in monumental stone, it is to be understoodthat it may be applied for other purposes within the scope of thefollowing claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

The method of inscribing the surface of stone or like material whichconsists in covering the surface with a protective layer,

In testimony whereof, we have signed our 1111i names to thisspecification.

TIMOTHY JELLOIV. ANTHONY DI BONA.

